Another Chance
by Dragonheart2
Summary: Another telling of the Mysterious Play, but following a more tradgedy guideline. Things will be darker, and will not just be a written version of FY. Not everything has a happy ending, especially when it is a play.
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes**: Oh, yeah, this has been bubbling in my brain since I saw the ending to Fushigi Yuugi, so about four years, I'd say, maybe five. I always wanted to see Miaka as a bit more mature, things a little bit worse all around for everyone, the hunt for the Seishi a bit longer, and just...I don't know, a few major plot changes...heheh. :D This will be a lot of fun...for me...don't know about the rest of you, we'll just have to see, now won't we? I know I'm supposed to be updating Blood Moon, but I'm putting that off a bit until I finish the research I've been doing for it...that might take another month...I've been practically devouring the books at my library in effort to make the upcoming chapters informed and interesting. Swordplay included. Yay. Anyways, this story however is making it's debut now. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: Tengo nada. It all belongs to Watase Yuu and the other owners of Fushigi Yuugi. I don't even own one of the manga, much less the rights to it or to the anime.

_Prologue_

The four seikun of the ShiJinTenShou came to an agreement when their world first began: they would work together in harmony to continue their fragile existence; they would bring virgin girls of the ages fourteen to sixteen into their world to act as their Miko once every two hundred years; and that in gratitude for the service the girls provided, they would gift the young girl with the ability to use their power to grant three wishes. This agreement, however, did not last long.

The beings of great power began to quarrel over territory, the humans under their control, their Seishi, and Miko. In the end, Genbu retreated to the cold lands called Hokkan, Suzaku to the warm, spicy lands of Konan, Byakko to the ambivalent lands of Sairou, and Seiryuu to the hostile and war-torn Kutou. Seiryuu's people made war on the others, causing much turmoil and suffering throughout the four corners of the world. The gods gave a prophecy to the people through Taiitskun that a girl from another world would come to save them and as the years passed by, the gods watched from their shrines, waiting for their priestesses to arrive and summon them...

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A young emperor looked up at the starry night sky as if searching for something. "When will you come?" he whispered, his eyes on the constellations of the Suzaku Shiciseishi. "When you come and rescue us from this darkness?"

"Heika-sama? Won't you come inside?" a courtier asked politely. "The night is cold and damp."

"Hai, I will," replied the youth with a last reluctant look at the cloudless sky. A bird in a golden cage, waiting to be set free by the mystical priestess of Suzaku...

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'What use am I if I can't save the one I love!' thought the despairing young man. "Shouka!" he cried aloud in grief, clutching her cold body to his desperately, as if the power of his love could bring her soul back to her body. "Please, don't be gone!"

The parents of the beautiful girl stood by watching, tears pouring from their eyes for the loss of their daughter and in sympathy for her talented, handsome fiance. The entire village knew what had happened and was silent in respect for the dead, even the children did not laugh or shout that cold, rainy night...

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**Author's Notes**: Now while I'd love to go through a snapshot of each of the Seishi's lives, I won't do that to you...it'd get boring, so I'll just leave you with a nice view into two certain people's lives. Poor guys. I'm going to be really rough on everyone if at all possible. Ah, the drama. Love it. Cry a little. Yay. It's not that I think good things can't happen to people in life, don't misunderstand me, but I did think that FY seemed a little too perky and The-Good-Guys-Must-Win and Everything-Will-Be-Ok seemed a little false. So...here I go making things a bit more angsty. Feel free to smack me up side the head...in the figurative sense of the word, that is.


	2. From Another World

**Author's Notes:** I got inspiration dropped on my head today like an anvil, so I began to write feverishly. I really hope I'm not being too hasty, putting out a chapter so soon. Here's the next chapter, please enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own this story. I do not own the plot. I own nothing, not even the manga, much less the rights to it or the anime.

_Chapter 2: And a priestess will come from another world to save us all..._

"Miaka-chan! Hurry up! We're going to miss the train!" Yui yelled exasperatedly at her friend, who was currently being distracted by a food display set up in the street. The ditzy girl was trying everything on the display table, much to the vendor's dismay, demolishing whatever tasty, savory-smelling food she could get her hands on. Rushing over to Miaka, Yui pulled on her friend's arm, then shouted in her ear, "Come on! We can't be late!" Reluctantly, Miaka allowed herself to be dragged away from the table, leaving a half empty table and a seriously disappointed vendor who was counting his losses, trying to decide whether to move back inside to avoid another incident.

The girls, running through the crowd like a pair of maniacs and drawing many perturbed looks as they did so, managed to reach the station just in time to board the train. The smell of steam and gasoline was in the air, which gave Yui a bit of a headache. She usually got sick to her stomach in places like this, but what can one do? Walk? Not possible, it was too far from her home to school and to the library and back. "Yatta! We made it!" Miaka crowed loudly, getting many dirty looks from fellow riders for being so obnoxiously noisy. "Quick, let's grab a seat, Yui-chan!" she sang, grabbing the short-haired blonde's arm and leading her to an empty spot. As the train pulled away and began its travel at high speed, Miaka chattered away energetically, while Yui merely nodded and gave a noise of agreement now and then, barely listening to the prattle. For awhile now, Yui felt like something important would happen this day. She did not know what could possibly happen, especially since they were just going to the National Library to return a book. What could possibly happen on such a mundane trip?

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Never in her life had Yui been so afraid. The men accosting Miaka and her were rough and definitely nothing good in their minds as regarding them. What had happened in the library? That weird book seemed to have transported the two schoolgirls to some place unrecognizable. It was hot, dusty, and two men that stood before them, swords drawn meant nothing but trouble. "Miaka, run!" she shouted to her confused and disoriented friend and she herself sprung to her feet and began to run for all she was worth. One of the men began to chase her, while the other ran in the opposite direction after Miaka. Her heart pounded in her ears as blood rushed through them as she fled. It was a good thing she ran track, because she managed to stay ahead of the man and out of his clutches. How long could she keep this up, though? She could only run so fast for so long, her stanima would give out quickly. Could she escape? Yui did not know nor dare to put any energy to pondering. Air rushed in and out of her lungs, through her nose rapidly. Because she was so frightened, her breath was not steady at first until she willed it so. As she continued to run, Yui prayed Miaka faired better than she; she prayed Miaka was quick on her feet and wits and managed to escape...

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The second man chasing her as fast as he could stopped quickly as she did. "All right!" Miaka shouted bravely, despite her trembling heart and legs. "Let's do this then!" she continued, dropping into a mimick of a fighting stance she saw on television.

Raising an eyebrow, the man obliged, stepping into a proper stance, his sword out low and his fist guarding his face. "As you wish, little girl," he sneered, knowing at a glance that the girl was weak and had no experience fighting as he had...

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**Author's Note:** I think I'll stop it there and contemplate my next move. I like to keep things in patterns if at all possible and if I continue, I'll tangle up my story threads and get confused and run around saying Oro! for an hour or so. Ok, maybe I won't do the Oro! bit, but I will probably do the other two parts for sure. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and tell me what you think. Ja ne!

_Review Responses:_

**Ayriel:** Thank you for your kind words, they go a long way to givinging me the incentive I need to continue writing. Doncha love angst though? Helps one get a lot of his/her chest, ya know? I feel like every writer puts more than a little bit of his/her own problems into the writing he/she does. We all face pain in one shape or form in life, it's guarenteed, and so when we write things that are painful for the characters, we put it in terms that we understand and feel ourselves. When you're reading something someone wrote, you are reading about them, their experiences, yet in a different setting and with different people. That's my theory, anyways. And by now you're figuring out that I like to ramble. Hope you don't mind. I'm glad you enjoyed the first enstallment, I hope you like the rest as well. Thanks again for reviewing, and congrats on being the first to do so!


	3. No Rest for the Righteous

**Author's Notes:** Glad to hear the last chapter was liked. Moving on to the next one now! Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything, not even the manga, much less the rights to it or the anime. It all belongs to someone else.

Chapter Two: No Rest for the Righteous

Her attacker stared in shock as she disappeared in a flash of red light. Yui felt a horribly lurching motion, which gave way to the feeling of free fall. She heard the shrill, yet somehow beautiful call of a bird, and even caught a glimpse of something with fiery wings and golden plumage. But it all swept away from the brightest and finest of colors to the semi-darkness of the library room where Miaka and her had first found the book. "Miaka!" she cried, heedless of the idea of being caught where only authorized people could enter. "Miaka! Where are you?"

As she searched the rows of shelves, she did not find her friend, and her worry made her sick in heart and soul. Turning back towards the door, she saw on the floor the book that Yui suspected was the source of her trouble. On the ground beside it was one, long flight feather of a brilliant red hue with the lingering scent of aromatic spices, like myhrr and frankencense. "What is this thing?" she wondered, "that it could do this?"

Approaching the old-looking book, she picked it up timidly and sat down on the thin, carpeted floor to read it again. As she opened it to the third page, she discovered that writing was just making its way down the dusty-smelling, yellowed page. It said, "The Suzaku no Miko was accosted by a greedy bandit, but was saved from slavery by the timely arrival of the Suzaku no Shichiseishi Tamahome..."

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Looking up at her savior, Miaka trembled, half from fear and half with relief. "A-arigato," she stammered, tears making a path down her cheeks. The young man bent down and wiped away her tears in a brotherly fashion.

"He didn't hurt you?" he asked kindly, his purple eyes warm and full of concern. She could smell the dry scent of the desert and the spicy/sweet smell of a market place about him. This person saved her from harm, he could be trusted.

"N-no," she replied. Then, as the idea of what could have happened all began to sink in, she grasped the front of the young man's tunic with a sob and weakly slumped onto his chest and wept. Her sobs shook her small frame like a leaf in the wind.

Not knowing why he cared so much of why her sobs tore his heart, Tamahome put his arms about her as he did for Yurien when she was hurt. Patting her back as he did his kid sister's, he murmmered comforting words like, "It's alright, there's nothing that can hurt you now, ok? You're going to be just fine," all the while wondering how the frail-looking girl made him feel protective and vengeful against the man that scared her so badly...

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A man sat by a stream, fishing line in hand, and pondered this feeling in his heart. Trepidation, mixed with a little relief, filled his heart from an unknown source. He had a feeling he knew the source, but a trip to his master's house would answer his questions, he believed. He took a deep breath, inhaling the clean scent of mountain waters and the misty scent of the fog that eternally clung to the foothills he enjoyed walking. He had an inkling that the miko that would guide him and his star brothers had arrived in the world of the Four gods...

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Author's Notes: I think I was half-concious when I wrote this... Oro! I know it's short, but I felt like it fit to write it like that. Besides, short chapters are easier to read. Keeps up a hype de gozaruyo. I'll make them longer soon, I promise. I just have to get things rolling first is all. Hope you enjoyed. Please review!


	4. A Missing Friend

Author's Notes: Sorry it's been so long since I updated. Gomen nasai! I was at first too busy being depressed that a family friend had died tragically, then I was too busy with school work. But I've had a sprint of inspiration lately, so I decided to pick up my pen (metaphorically) and do some writing. I hope you enjoyed, please review.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not the characters, storyline, plot, etc. I don't even own the manga, much less the rights to it or the anime. It all belongs to someone else, Yuu Watase for one, and I'm only doing this for my own enjoyment and it's all non-profit. I make no money from this. No tengo nada.

Chapter Three: To be the emperor is to live in a cage...

Tamahome could not bear to leave the frail young girl all on her own in the desert. The very idea was unthinkable. He saw her as another little sister to take care of, so he took her back to the city with him. Once the pair reached the city, Tamahome collected the payment from his delivery to the little village a few miles distant that he had been returning from when he found the girl, Miaka and her friend Yui. The blonde girl that had been with Miaka had totally disappeared. No matter how hard he looked, her tracks and the bandits led a little ways away from where the girls had been attacked, but then stopped suddenly. The bandit's led further on, but there was no sign that he had picked her up and carried her away. Yui had just vanished inexplicably. The young girl that walked silently beside him could not explain her odd clothing or what she and another girl were doing wandering in the desert. Tamahome decided it was best to just let her tell him about everything when she was ready. He could hold off on his curiosity long enough for her to gather her wits. Before she died, his mother had taught him that patience was a virtue...

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The disappearing act girl, Yui, did not know what to think of this book that sucked others into it. Where did it come from? Who made it? Why did it take her and Miaka into it? Why it expell her, but kept her friend? She hungered for the answers and smuggled the book out of the dark and slightly damp upper library room to the computer commons where she began to do some research.

"ShiJinTenShou," she read aloud slowly. "Translated by Okuda Einosuke" As she read the information on it, she discovered it originally was from Ancient China, then was brought to Japan during the Taisho Era, where Okuda began the translation of it. The book that stole Miaka was the translated book. "So where is the original?" she thought curiously. Shrugging that detail aside, she verociously devored more words, trying to understand how and why she and Miaka fell into the mysterious ShiJinTenShou...

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Finding a place to stay for the night in the capital of Konan was a fairly simple affair. There were numerous, pleasent inns with reasonable prices dotting almost every section of town. The one Tamahome chose was called Shinku Hane, a name that alluded to the protector god of the warmest, loveliest of the lands of the Four gods. Miaka thought she was too worried about Yui's disappearence to sleep, but the second she finished eating her dinner, she feel asleep sitting up. Tamahome raised an eyebrow at this odd occurence, before picking her up bridal style and took her upstairs to her room, ignoring a few raunchy comments being tossed his way by semi-inebriated drinkers on the main floor...

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Babbling Brook: There are a few details in here that I am unsure of.

1) Okuda Einosuke - was this the name of the Genbu no Miko's, Takiko, father?

2) Was the 1920's part of the Taisho era? I'm fairly certain that it was from 1912-1926. So my next question is, was the year Okuda-san translated the Shijintenshou within the Taisho era or the next era, the Showa era?

3) Shinku Hane - Crimson Feather. Yeah, feel free to smack me upside the head for that one...I know it is ridiculous, but find myself uncaring none the less. :D

So, yeah...if you know anything other than basic Japanese, whether I have Takiko's father's name right, or what era Okuda-san was translating the ShiJinTenShou in, please tell me. I'd appreciate it very much. Arigato gozeimasu! Please review.


	5. A Phoenix in a Cage

Author's Notes: I actually don't know if the book Yui and Miaka read was the original work or the translation. It looked to be in fairly good condition and sorta newish (compared to a 2,000 year old manuscript that is), so I was thinking it was the translation of the ShiJinTenShou rather than the original. Wouldn't the original be crumbling by then? I'll do more research and fix it if it's wrong. But for now, it stays as is. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, kind reviewer. Hope y'all enjoy this next chapter. Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not the characters, storyline, plot, etc. I don't even own the manga, much less the rights to it or the anime. It all belongs to someone else, Yuu Watase for one, and I'm only doing this for my own enjoyment and it's all non-profit. I make no money from this. No tengo nada.

Chapter Four: To be the emperor is to live in a cage...

Saihitei looked grave as he listened to the most recent reports from the border of Konan and Kutou. There were tales of night time attacks on borders farms and estates from what were supposedly rogue bands of Kutou soldiers. The emperor of Kutou denied involvement, but Saihitei was skeptical of that. The internal wars within Kutou had almost completely ended. Not because of the people decided to follow their new conquerer, the emperor. The general of the Kutou armies was so brutal as he put down insurrections that the rebels feared to attempt any more rebellions, so the struggles drowned in rivers of blood. Now, those brutal attentions were being brought to new lands, it appeared. Saihitei knew that Kutou was hungry for the rich, plentiful lands of Konan. Long had the domain of Seiryuu lusted after Suzaku's lands.

Konan was well able to protect itself against many enemies, but it would require time to prepare their forces for great onslaughts. He made a note in his head to speak to his war advisors on recruiting more soldiers and intensifying the training of those who already were soldiers in preparation for battle...

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Miaka awoke with a start. Wide awake in an instance, she looked around the room quickly, trying to remember where she was. This was not home, not Yui's room, and definitely not anywhere she could recognize. Worried, she ransacked her memory to try and figure out where she was. A brief flash of red light, a piercing bird scream...ah. Now she remembered. She had somehow been transported out of the library to some desert place with Yui. They had been attacked by two men, then she was saved by a handsome young man, Tamahome. She felt less disoriented, knowing these facts. But now she was more worried than ever. Yui was missing. "I have to find her," Miaka said aloud, a steely determination showing in her demeanor as she straightened her back and shoulders.

Leaping out of bed, she splashed water on her face from the water basin on the room's dresser. Patting her face dry, she noticed her ribbons lay on the opposite end of the dresser from the water basin. Pulling back her hair, she tied it all in one, neat bun and secured it with her ribbons. There. She was ready to begin searching this strange place for her friend...

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Yui was frightened by the information she was finding on this book. Okuda Einosuke went mad and murdered his daughter not long after the text came into his possession, only a few months at the most. Just before the book came to him, his wife had died of a terminal illness. Why would Okuda kill his only child, and then himself? Looking at the notes, it appeared that Okuda thought his daughter was being possessed by some sort of demon or other negative spiritual entity. How strange that he thought that. Resolving to research more on this, Yui secreted the ShiJinTenShou from the library and headed home in the quickening twilight.

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Babbling Brook: Yes, short chapter. Live with it, there will be more later. I will be ramping things up a bit next chapter, hope you're as excited as I am. Thank you for reading, please review and tell me what you thought of it:D


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